Finland Times

File Photo – Lehtikuva.

Commercial fishermen last year made highest ever record catch according to Natural Resources Institute Finland.

Preliminary estimates show that the total catch of commercial marine fishing totalled 148 million kilograms, which was 10 million kilograms higher than the previous year.

Fishing of Baltic herring increased by nine million kilograms and accounted to the majority of the catch. It was followed by sprats catch at 12 million kilograms.

Fishing of herring, sprat, codfish and salmon are structurally regulated by annual quotas.

File Photo – Lehtikuva.

Codfish catch remained below quota at 360,000 kilograms, and 300,000 kilograms of salmon catch also remained within quota.

According to Natural Resources Institute Finland, fishing of Baltic herring, sprat and codfish was concentrated within a small number of fishing vessels.

The majority of commercial fishermen, however, fish using nets and trap nets around the coastal areas.